Caitlin Clark Progresses in Recovery, But Still Not Back on the Court
Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White reported this Monday on the progress of All-Star guard Caitlin Clark, who is recovering from a right groin injury. Although Clark is showing progress, she has not yet returned to training. Clark hasn’t played since suffering the injury in the last minute of the 85-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun on July 15. Team officials have already ruled her out for Tuesday’s game against rookie Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. Despite the absence of one of the league’s most popular players, there is no defined date for her return.Clark started running all over the court last week. This season, Clark has had to miss 19 of 32 games due to three different muscle injuries. Without Clark, Indiana has a 10-9 record, including a 6-2 in the last eight games, despite losing two more guards, Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald, due to injuries that ended their seasons. Colson suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during last week’s loss in Phoenix. McDonald will be out due to a fracture in a bone in his right foot, which occurred in the same game. However, with only nine active players and no true point guards, Indiana defeated the Chicago Sky 92-70 on Saturday. On Sunday, the Fever signed Odyssey Sims to an emergency contract. Sims averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds during her 11-year career, which included an All-Star selection in 2019. Before her latest injury, Clark, last season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year, averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. The Fever invested heavily in building a title-winning supporting cast around Clark during the offseason. Even without Clark, Indiana is 18-14 and holds the fifth seed, close enough to remain in contention for home-court advantage in the first round.He hasn’t trained again, but he has been able to run a little more all over the court with all the weight of his body. He is gradually increasing, going from the minimum to building some endurance to do longer periods. He has been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how he moves, but not in the form of training.
Stephanie White
